What is a brandbook and who uses it?
A brandbook is a document, usually a PDF, that describes how your brand looks and speaks. It's used by the designer making a poster, the printer producing the menu, whoever posts on social media and the agency building your website. Without it, everyone interprets your logo and colors their own way.
It's not a document for the drawer. A good brandbook is short where it can be and precise where it matters: exact color codes, ready-to-use logo files and clear examples of what to do and what not to do. If a new collaborator can use it without calling you, the brandbook has done its job.
What sections does a complete brandbook have?
The order varies, but a complete brandbook generally covers the same chapters. It starts with why the brand exists and ends with how it looks on real things. In between are the visual rules, with numbers and examples rather than adjectives. Not every brand needs every chapter on day one.
- Story, values and tone of voice
- Logo: variants, black and white versions, clear space, minimum size, misuse
- Colors: primary and secondary, with HEX, RGB and CMYK
- Typography: typefaces, heading and body hierarchy
- Image style: photography, illustration, icons
- Layouts and grids for posters, social media and presentations
- Applications: menu, packaging, signage, uniforms, website, app
What are clear space and minimum size for a logo?
Clear space is the empty area around the logo where no text, images or other elements may go. It's usually defined by part of the logo itself, such as the height of a letter, so the rule works at any size. Without it, the logo gets crowded by other elements and loses impact.
Minimum size is the size below which the logo stops being legible, on screen and in print. For small sizes, the brandbook may call for a simplified version, such as the symbol alone. That matters for app icons, favicons and labels.
How are colors and typography defined?
Each color gets codes for each medium: HEX and RGB for screens, CMYK for print and, where an exact match is needed, a Pantone reference. The brandbook also sets proportions: which color dominates, which are accents and which combinations are off-limits, such as light text on a light background.
For typography you usually pick one or two typefaces and set the hierarchy: headings, subheadings, body, captions. Check the font licence for web, print and apps. A beautiful typeface you aren't allowed to use on your website is a problem, not a choice.
How does AI speed up brandbook production?
AI doesn't replace brand decisions, but it shortens the road to them. We quickly generate several visual directions, test colors and compositions on real mockups and produce presentation imagery without a photo shoot for each option. A designer then chooses and refines by hand.
The most tedious part, exporting, is automated: logos, app icons, favicons and social covers in every size. That's why a complete brandbook is delivered in days rather than weeks, and why the price stays within reach for a restaurant or a new business.
How do you use the brandbook once it's done?
Send it to anyone who produces something for you: printers, designers, photographers, your social media agency, delivery platforms. Along with the PDF, give them the file pack: logos in the right formats, fonts or links to them, templates. Most brand mistakes come from old files passed around on WhatsApp.
For a restaurant, the brandbook shows up in concrete places: the printed menu, the delivery box, your cover image on Glovo or Wolt, uniforms, the sign over the door, the app. When a new piece of material appears, you check it against the rules. If no rule fits, you update the brandbook instead of improvising.
How many pages is a brandbook, and what does it cost?
It depends on how many applications it covers. The HoReCaOS brandbook runs to 40 pages, the one for Armonia Academy, made with DrimRod, to 55, and the one for România Transparentă to 57. We've also made brandbooks for Bilbor Offroad Fest, Visit Ardeal and Lunch Dealzz. A small brand needs fewer pages than a festival or a platform.
Indicative prices: from 500 RON for a logo and essential kit, from 1,000 RON for a full brandbook with usage rules, layouts and print specifications, and from 1,500 RON for brand plus campaign visuals, a press kit and social media templates. Larger brandbooks, for festivals or platforms, are quoted separately.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a logo and a brandbook?
A logo is one element. A brandbook is the set of rules for the logo, colors, fonts, imagery and applications so everything looks consistent.
Does a small restaurant need a brandbook?
It needs at least a fixed logo, colors and fonts. A short brandbook helps a lot when working with printers, designers or delivery platforms.
What format does the brandbook come in?
A PDF for the brandbook, plus logo files and assets exported in the sizes needed for print, web and apps.
Do you use AI for the logo?
We use AI for exploration and production, but decisions and finishing are done by hand. The final result is checked and adjusted by a designer.
How much does a brandbook cost?
From 500 RON for a logo and essential kit, from 1,000 RON for a full brandbook and from 1,500 RON for brand plus campaign.
Can I see brandbooks you've made?
Yes, in our portfolio: HoReCaOS, Armonia Academy, Bilbor Offroad Fest, Visit Ardeal, Lunch Dealzz and România Transparentă.
